Volunteer divers from the Netherlands continue to retrieve debris from the North Sea six years after a major shipping mishap. They focus on the Wadden Sea, where hundreds of containers fell overboard from the MSC Zoe—one of the largest cargo ships—during a 2019 storm, spilling items like car parts, televisions, and furniture.
Despite previous clean-up efforts, the seabed of this UNESCO-listed area, stretching across the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark, remains cluttered. Diver Harold Batteram, 67, shared with AFP that on a recent expedition, they recovered nets, debris, and likely electrical cables from the MSC Zoe, all while his diving suit became covered with tiny crustaceans. The spill also included organic peroxide, a hazardous chemical used in plastics.
Ellen Kuipers, head of the CleanUpXL project, remarked, “In an instant, the Wadden Sea beaches were junk-strewn.” Established in 2021 by four Dutch environmental groups, CleanUpXL employs ships and divers to extract around 800 tons of remaining waste. Kuipers noted that while the Dutch government initially led clean-up efforts, these have diminished over time because only debris linked to the MSC Zoe was targeted.
In April 2024, a government report disclosed 6,000 potential waste sites. Kuipers argues that attention should extend beyond MSC Zoe’s debris to all waste threatening these protected areas. “We aim to pressure the government to act,” she said, adding that awareness is vital since household items travel via container ships.
Amidst choppy waters, divers recently retrieved a child’s down jacket covered in baby crabs and starfish. “It’s a noble goal,” Batteram stated after diving 22 meters deep for almost three-quarters of an hour. The retired data scientist emphasized that most lost items from the MSC Zoe remain on the sea floor, largely unnoticed. “Out of sight, out of mind,” he remarked, stating their mission is to change that perception.
